David Brooks, a Saints loanee, was forced to leave the game due to illness after substituting in the Wales penalty-heavy loss to Poland in the Euro 2024 qualifying match.
With six regular minutes remaining, Brooks was brought on. However, he was replaced in the second half of extra time by Nathan Broadhead of Ipswich Town.
After the game, Page acknowledged that leading the Southampton forward on was a risk, but it was one that was worthwhile.
“Brooksy has been sick since Thursday,” he stated. He hasn’t spent a minute practicing on the grass. He was a risk.
“You want to get someone with Brooksy’s caliber on the field. We quickly came to the conclusion that he was not a runner.
“He acknowledged that. That one was difficult. We just wanted to cross the boundary and make sure we had the strength to do that, so we had to bring Broady on.”
Last week, Cymru defeated Finland 4-1 in the playoff semi-finals, with Brooks scoring the first goal and setting up Brennan Johnson.
The 26-year-old, who joined Southampton on loan from Premier League team AFC Bournemouth in January, has developed into a vital member of the team.
Prior to his brief appearance at Cardiff City Stadium, Brooks had contributed ten goals in his previous ten outings.
A further update on Brooks’ fitness level is anticipated from Russell Martin before Middlesbrough’s match on Good Friday.
Leave a Reply